


Fire and Rain

by lavenderring



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Brokeback Mountain Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Camping, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Homophobia, M/M, Minor Injuries, eventually, gay cowboys!!, lots of nature imagery bc thats my fav
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:22:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28233846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderring/pseuds/lavenderring
Summary: Hajime Iwaizumi takes a job to spend a whole summer in the mountains of Wyoming and watch over sheep. Tooru Oikawa takes this job too. Things prove to become a little more complicated than intended.Follows Iwaizumi and Oikawa's relationship over the course of 10 years after spending one summer together.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Fire and Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Why have I not seen a western AU for these two??? And more specifically why is there no hybrid Brokeback mountain story on this site?? doesn't really matter anymore because I wrote one to fill my super weird needs. I hope you all enjoy!!

_ Here I stand acting like a silly clown would,  
I don't know why would anybody like to try  
The changes I'm going through ?  
A hidden lie would fortify  
Something that don't exist  
But it ain't so bad, I'm just a lad,  
So many more things to do,  
I intend to come right through them all with you.  _

A breeze threatened to take Hajime’s hat off as he climbed out of the semi-truck that he had hitched a ride on. He nodded to the driver as he stepped onto the dirt road in thanks. The driver mirrored the motion and shifted gears once Hajime closed the passenger door.

Hajime looked to the trailer, residing in front of him as he heard the semi-truck drive away. He gripped onto his small backpack’s handles and adjusted his hat before walking up to the dinghy trailer. 

He had a small bag with him full of a couple of changes of clothes, a bar of soap, his best whittling knife, a few packs of cigarettes, a flask full of whiskey, and his favorite mug and bowl he always brought camping. He didn’t know exactly what this job entailed but he knew he would be gone for a while in the mountains. He reached into his pocket to grab a cigarette, hoping the nicotine will help him relax. 

Hajime didn’t expect, moments after he lit his cigarette, that a black pick up truck would pull up. He watched in interest while taking a drag, the person driving cut the engine and clamber out of the driver seat. He had put his hand on top of his hat to make sure it wouldn’t catch on the roof of the car which didn’t let Hajime get a good look at him at first. He did notice his lanky frame, long limbs stretching out topped off by weathered cowboy boots. The man slammed the car door behind him as he rose to full height and took his hand away from his head. 

He was taller than Hajime but not by much even without the heel of the boot boosting him up. His build was lean and athletic but not muscular, like Hajime was. He was wearing a thick dark coat over a blue flannel tucked into light wash jeans. Hajime’s eyes were caught by the man’s belt buckle, a shiny silver clasp with an ingrained picture of a man on a bucking bronco. 

Hajime pulled his eyes up to study the man’s face. His jaw and cheekbones were chiseled and his skin showcased the man’s careful grooming routine, a rarity out here. He caught glimpses of light brown hair underneath his hat and eyes to match his hair stared back at Hajime. Hajime crossed his arms and leaned against the trailer, not breaking eye contact with him.

This man with long limbs and fancy belts was, Hajime could not lie, objectively attractive. 

Hajime breathed out a sigh as he broke the stare between them and grabbed another cigarette from his pocket. 

The other man just took a quick once over to look at Hajime and then copied Hajime’s pose against his car. He turned his nose up and Hajime rolled his eyes. One of those snooty guys. Hajime guessed he was probably a hotshot bull rider and had no interest in making small talk with the likes of him. 

They fell into an uncomfortable silence. It seemed as if the message that Hajime was trying to convey was the same one the man pretended he was conveying as well. Hajime scoffed at the obviously fake intimidation act coming from him. 

Minutes ticked by and Hajime still refused to speak to the man and vice versa. Hajime kept smoking while the man fidgeted, going to look at himself in the car side mirror then staring up at the sky. Hajime had finished his fourth cigarette when he saw the man open his mouth to say something. Hajime tensed until he heard a car drive up to the lot. 

A white pick up truck pulled up right next to Hajime and their employer, Hajime assumed, stepped out, tipping his hat to them as he did. He walked into the trailer and Hajime and the man followed suit. 

Hajime watched the employer as he sat down at his desk. The man was not much older than them but he had an air of arrogance that made Hajime scrunch his nose a little. His hair was in a side part and his eyes were like slits, like snake eyes. He leaned back in his chair and motioned to the chairs in front of him to have the men sit. They did not. 

“I assume you guys are here for the job.” He commented dully. “I’ll give you a quick run down before you guys head up. You both have everything you need for the summer?” He glanced down at Hajime’s bag and the other man’s empty handedness. 

“It’s in my car.” Hajime noted the man’s voice had that tinge of arrogance as well. He repressed the urge to roll his eyes again. 

“Well, my name is Daishou Suguru.” Daishou leaned forward from his laid back position and brought his hands together in front of him on the desk. “You know, it’s hard to find one Asian cowboy out here, nevertheless two. I usually try to hire my kind.”

Hajime shifted his weight to lean away from the other man. Daishou was not wrong. It was even a miracle to have three Asian men in the same room. There’s a small Asian population out in Wyoming, leaving Hajime to work with predominantly blue-collar white men. He worked on countless ranches with no other person of color even except for Kuroo. When they first spotted each other, it was an instant unspoken bond of sticking together. They kept in touch and tried to get jobs together whenever they could, even living together at one point. Hajime glanced at the tall man again, eyes narrowing. He did not feel the same bond with this one. 

“What I need is for you two to herd my sheep up the mountain and keep them there for pretty much the whole summer. There are a few campsites about three miles away from the trailhead you can stay at. I need one of you to be the tender to the camp, getting food deliveries on time, taking care of fires and that sort. The other has to be the herder.” He eyed the other man as he said the herder. “I want you as my herder since according to Ukai, you did a good job with his herd last summer.”

The tall man stiffened so slightly, Hajime almost didn’t catch the movement. He smiled though under the praise and glanced over at Hajime, giving him a smug look. Hajime felt his blood boil. Was this guy for real? But when he looked away, again Hajime noticed it was all a part of the fake intimidation act. 

“That leaves you to tend to camp.” Suguru pointed at Hajime and threw him a small watch. “Be on time for food deliveries.” He took a moment to flit his eyes between the two men. Then waved his hands to shoo them out. “Go. In a couple of hours, we’ll need you back here to start. Just get out of here for now.” 

Hajime and the man walked out of the trailer, blinking in the sudden sunlight. Hajime sighed and took another cigarette out. The man craned his neck to get a better look at Hajime and then gave him a grin. 

“Tooru Oikawa.” He said. “Since we’ll be spending a lot of time together, we might as well start now.” 

“That’s maybe the same reason I don’t want to start now.” Hajime grumbled. Tooru didn’t seem to be phased by his remark. He just raised an eyebrow, a silent ask for his name as well. 

“Iwaizumi.” He said, taking a drag of his cigarette. He might need to buy one more pack before they went up into the mountains. 

“Did your parents stop at Iwaizumi?” Tooru smirked and veered back on his heels. 

Hajime peered at him out of the corner of his eye and exhaled smoke on Tooru. Tooru scrunched up his nose and waved his hand in front of his face. 

“Gross, Iwaizumi.” He remarked. “That name is so long, do you have a nickname? Or a first name?”

Hajime took another drag of his cigarette. He didn’t want to respond. 

Tooru narrowed his eyes but that was the only reaction Hajime got. He let the subject drop and stared up at the sky. 

“Want to go get a drink?” Tooru’s eyes shone as he asked and Hajime dropped his cigarette butt, putting it out underneath his boot. 

\---------------------------------

Hajime grabbed the beer from the bartender and gave her a nod of gratitude. He watched Tooru grab his whiskey and sip it carefully. His eyes were scanning the shelves behind the bar in front of him until he slid them over to land on Hajime. Hajime blinked and took a big sip of his beer. 

“So, Iwaizumi,” Tooru started. “What’s your story?”

“My story?” Hajime hunched over the bar they were sitting at so when he looked at Tooru, it was from over his shoulder. 

“Yeah. Your family, what you do, who your friends are.” 

Hajime turned his head away from Tooru and heard a sigh fall from the taller man’s lips. “I can go first if you’re shy, Iwaizumi.”

Hajime huffed a laugh, not quite causing him to smile. He gave a look to Tooru that he hoped said more ‘out with it’ than ‘how did you read right through me’.

“My parents are from Japan but moved over here when I was 7.” Tooru took another sip of his drink in between sentences. “Don’t know why they chose Wyoming of all places but… I started bull riding when I was 13 and became pretty good at it.” He gave Hajime a grin. 

“I live in town and grew up there as well. Make a good living off of bull riding now but still like to pick up some odd jobs like this to get some pocket cash.”

Great, a rich snooty guy. Not rich-rich but more than Hajime and a lot more people in this town are. Picking up jobs Hajime relied on for pocket cash. 

“Now it’s your turn.” Tooru took another sip, almost finishing his drink. 

Hajime straightened his back and decided to look anywhere but Tooru as he talked. He doesn’t know why he decided to spill his story but he thought it had something to do with opening this guy’s eyes to the real world. It’s not just bull rides and rainbows. 

“Parents moved here before I was born from Japan, too. Grew up just knowing farmwork for a while. Until they died in a car accident and the bank took our ranch.” Iwaizumi pursed his lips at the memory of his sister and brother arguing with men in suits at their doorstep. The loss he felt as they drove away from his home, the place that held the last remnants of his parents. He physically shook his head to snap himself out of it. “I’ve been picking up ranch work ever since.” 

He looked over at Tooru whose eyes did not hold pity or sympathy for him but… 

A sense of weird admiration Hajime had never seen before. 

“Another round for us, ma’am.” Tooru said, turning to the bartender. She looked up from cleaning her glasses to nod and gave him a smile.

“Anything else, mister?” Her southern accent dripped through every word she said. 

“Not at the moment,” He gave her a winning smile as he spoke and punctuated his sentence with a wink. She blushed a little and turned to grab the fancy whiskey bottle he was drinking. 

Hajime was oddly glad his sob story didn’t affect the lighthearted mood at the bar even though he intended to kill it. It seemed as though Tooru knew exactly how to move on without putting too much attention on him. He had never gotten that type of understanding from someone. Hajime repressed the urge of his lips to turn upwards. 

\---------------------------------

Hajime walked with their food delivery man to their horses. The man told him he would be coming once a week at 11:00 am to the bridge by the river at the base of the mountain. Gives Hajime enough time to wake up and ride down to get it on the days he came. 

“Another thing too. Don’t order no soup for y’all. Hard to pack and don’t last.”

Hajime scuffed the toe of his boot against a rock. “I don’t even like soup.”

Hajime shook the man’s hand who he found out was named Pete and let him go. He turned to see Tooru getting on his horse but the horse immediately tried to buck him off. 

“Careful there, Tooru.” Hajime warned as he finished packing up his horse. He knew how temperamental horses could be especially with new people.

“I doubt that there’s a horse here that can throw me.” Tooru gave a smile that screamed cocky to Hajime. Hajime scrunched his nose in distaste. He felt a rock in the pack that somehow fell in there and opened his palm to look at it. Not too big but big enough. He then raised his arm and threw the rock at Tooru’s leg. 

“Ah! What the fuck?” Tooru whipped his head around to glare at Hajime who sat there laughing softly. 

He got up on his horse and guided her to stand next to Tooru’s horse. Hajime then pulled Tooru’s hat over his eyes.

“Iwaizumi, what the fuck?” Tooru repeated. He lifted his hat, no anger or annoyance in his eyes but his face played up the act. “What was that for?”

“For being a cocky little shit.” Hajime shot a grin at the other man to match his one before and whipped the reins to get his horse moving forward. She took off on a gallop, leaving Tooru to take care of the back of the sheep herd. He heard the bull rider’s whines as he trotted ahead. 

They move the sheep through rivers and valleys on their way up the mountain. The plan was to be at the first campsite by nightfall and to set up quickly. Tooru would take care of the sheep for the next couple of days, staying with them so predators did not go after them. During their journey, a few lambs got caught in the river so Hajime had to go after them and tie them up in cloth to hang off of the side of the horse, close to his hips. He and Tooru had switched places around the herd a few times, not really caring about the order. 

The last leg of their journey dragged on. Hajime was in the back with the lambs still squirming by his hip. He watched Tooru look around in awe at the mountains they were surrounded by. He had taken a moment to consider what this summer would be like. 

It’s obvious Tooru Oikawa is an annoying little shit but it seems that there’s a side to him Hajime would actually mesh with. A side Hajime would like to get to know better. But as he watched him, the way Tooru said “pocket money” loomed over him. He had to focus on this job more than Tooru. He needed this more than Tooru. He couldn’t slack off like Tooru.

Hajime pulled his hat further down his face, blocking the top half of his vision. The goofing off wouldn’t be acceptable. What if Suguru decided on giving them less for messing around on the job? They’re supposed to be watching sheep, making sure they're okay for the summer. He can’t forget about food deliveries or forgetting any sheep or predators. He’s lucky to even have this job, working on other people’s ranches doesn’t pay nearly as much as this one does. And all he has to do is be on time for food and sit in the gorgeous Wyoming mountains to watch sheep. He had to do this well.

“Iwaizumi! I think I see the campsite.” Tooru called, pointing ahead. Hajime whipped the reins to rush up ahead to the herd. He came upon the campsite and got off his horse while watching Tooru bring the herd to the side of the mountain. Not too far away from the campsite but far enough where they couldn’t see or hear them. He had begun to pitch a tent and light a fire by the time the whole herd was over the mountain. 

Tooru came back over the side of the mountain and stopped the horse by a tree to tie him up for the night. Hajime glanced up to acknowledge Tooru’s presence and then went to pull the beans off of the fire. Hajime handed one can to Tooru as he sat and then put his own in front of him. He had his favorite mug next to him with half of the whiskey flask poured in. Tooru took off his own hat, putting it next to him and pulling out his own flask.

“These mountains are so pretty, aren’t they? I’m always amazed by them every time I’m here.” Tooru settled back against the log and ate his beans. “Though, I’m not here as often as I’d like.”

Hajime grunted in response around his beans. He didn’t feel like talking. 

“Also, the lambs you wrapped up, I let them out to go run to the herd.” Tooru pushed. “I’m so glad Suguru asked me to be herder, I handle sheep so much better than you, you brute. The way you wrapped them up must’ve been so uncomfortable for them. ” 

Hajime whipped his head up to glare at Tooru. All he saw on the brunette’s face though was an open invitation to push back, to tease him. Hajime scrunched his nose and turned back to his beans.

“But honestly, the job of a herder seemed annoying the way Suguru put it.” Tooru just didn’t shut up. “He told me to sleep with the lambs! And no fires, but…” He leaned a little closer to Hajime but maintained a comfortable distance. “I obviously said fuck that. How is he going to know we’re having fires? Or that I’m sleeping with the sheep which I obviously won’t. He’s not out here with us.” 

Hajime looked up again to stare into the light brown eyes alight with challenge. Hajime rolled his own and threw the can to the side. He’ll pick it up later. The tender stood up and took a big swig of whiskey. 

“I’m… going to bed. I think it’s smart if you sleep with them at least for tonight.” He grumbled. 

After a moment of just staring into his mug, he held it out for Tooru to finish it. He took the mug, fingers brushing as he grabbed it. He stared into the mug for a moment, contemplating. Hajime cleared his throat.

Tooru looked up at Hajime and smiled, clearly a fake smile. Hajime wondered when he was going to see a real smile on this guy. Every move he made screamed fake fake fake. The lanky man downed it quickly and handed the shorter man the mug. 

“Thanks.” Tooru mumbled. Hajime stalked over to the tent and stepped inside. Before zipping up, he took one look at Tooru. He was staring at the fire and eating his beans mindlessly. Hajime stopped for a moment and then closed up the tent, quickly falling asleep after the long day they had. 

Hajime didn’t get a good sleep that night, though. He woke up a couple of times, slipping in and out of sleep. He usually slept peacefully while camping or out in nature and enjoyed the soothing sounds of nature. But for some reason, something was lingering in the back of his mind while he slept. The first time he woke up he noticed the fire was dulled but still going. He opened the tent a tiny bit to peer out. He forgot to put it out before going to bed but saw that Tooru was still by the fire. It easily had been a few hours since Hajime was asleep so why was he still up? 

Tooru was massaging his right kneecap as he stared into the fire the same way Hajime saw him as he went to bed. He rubbed his eyes and decided to go back to sleep. Tooru was probably just being lazy and would go up to the sheep soon. He zipped the tent back up and rolled over into sleep again. 

The second time he woke up, he noticed the fire had been put out. Out of curiosity, wanting to check if Tooru had gone up to the sheep, he unzipped the tent to survey the campground that was draped in darkness. He didn’t see Tooru by the fire but he noticed his horse was still there. He felt his lips pull into a scowl as he looked again for any sign of Tooru. He thought about getting up and looking for him. He considered this thought again. 

Thinking he just walked instead of riding up, Hajime rolled over to go back to sleep. Tooru was a grown man and Hajime was not his keeper. 

And yet that lingering feeling grew in the back of his head. He had no idea what it was.

\---------------------------------

Hajime was in the middle of making beans again for breakfast when Tooru rode up. He had been gone by the time Hajime woke up along with his horse, which confused Hajime further. Hajime had set up the camp a little more that morning while he was waiting for Tooru to come back to eat. He created a pulley system to keep their food hanging in the trees so bears wouldn’t get them. 

Tooru was tying up the horse and shooting Hajime glances from over his shoulder. Hajime narrowed his eyes in concentration over his cooking. He was distracted by why Tooru kept looking at him. 

Tooru walked over to the fire pit slowly but sat on the other side of the fire. Hajime nudged the can across the fire so Tooru could grab it. He did and began to eat desperately in silence.

Hajime, of course, prefers silence in any given scenario but Tooru not pushing any conversation was confusing him. He hadn’t known the man long but he knew that he was annoying and a little stubborn or prideful. He couldn’t really pin it. He, also, wanted an explanation on his weird sleep schedule. 

“Did you sleep last night?” Hajime asked, grabbing his can of beans. Tooru sniffed and kept eating. Hajime pursed his lips. Stubborn seemed the more fitting word now. But so was Hajime. 

“Hey.” Hajime said, sharply. He stared intensely at Tooru who still wouldn’t look at him. “Shittykawa.”

Tooru’s eyes shot up as Hajime's eyes widened. What the fuck was that. Remind him why he wanted the brunette’s attention again?

“Shittykawa?” Tooru smiled brightly, obviously happy with Hajime’s stupid attempts to get him to talk. “Iwaizumi, it’s no fair you have a nickname for me when I don’t even know your first name.” 

“Shut up.” He rolled his eyes. “Did you hear me earlier?” 

“Yeah.” Tooru stretched out his legs in front of him and leaned back on the log. “I did sleep.” 

Hajime was not trying to be a mother hen but he needed this job to be done right. He couldn’t have Tooru asleep in the middle of the day. 

“Did you sleep well?” Hajime reached for a cigarette in his pocket as he spoke and brought it up to his lips to light it. Tooru put his can to the side since he was done. 

“Yeah.” He very obviously lied. Hajime shot him an unimpressed look. “Kind of.”

There was a moment as Hajime waited for an explanation. He took a drag in the meantime as Tooru played with the dirt next to him. 

“I have knee troubles.” Tooru opened up. “It was acting up last night. Didn’t have anything to dull the pain. And I don’t smoke so it’s not even like I can relax with that.” 

Hajime exhaled smoke through his nose. “No booze either?”

Tooru breathed out a sigh and got up, clearly over the interrogation. He shook his head and put on his hat while walking over to his horse. 

He hoisted himself up on the horse while she once again tried to buck him off. Tooru scowled but got her under control quickly. He whipped the reins and off he went over the mountainside. It was just past a few trees hiding their campsite. Hajime threw his cigarette butt into the fire and got up to tend to camp.

Hajime spent the next few hours taking care of his horse, checking that the tent was sturdy, setting up the food, planning their dinner, and chopping up firewood. He had found a couple of fallen trees that were easy to cut up into smaller segments. He brought it over to the fire pit and dropped it into a pile right beside the long logs used for sitting. Hajime got bored at camp before the afternoon even rolled around. 

He planned to, right when the sun was setting, cook dinner for Tooru. In the meantime, he would explore the surroundings a little bit, trying to find the stream where they would wash. Suguru mentioned it before they came up. Once he found it, he filled his water bottle up and downed it. He breathed out hard once he had his fill, like a 10-year-old running in from playing and chugging water. This water always tasted so good, being some of the freshest on earth.

He walked back to camp, killing a couple more hours. He assumed that when he got back he could start making dinner. He was starving and he looked up at the mountainside where Tooru would disappear. He must be too. 

As he built the fire, he heard a horse galloping down through the trees. Hajime was not feeling beans tonight and assumed Tooru was in the same boat so he used his prior cooking skills to make a delicious meal he would eat at home. He put in pieces of corn, sausage, and potatoes into a pot over the fire. He had put seasoning over it and sat back to watch it cook, lighting another cigarette. 

“Iwaizumi, are you smoking around my food?” Tooru finished tying up his horse and walked over to the log across the fire. “I don’t want to eat nasty tobacco for dinner tonight.”

Hajime exhaled smoke and gave Tooru the death stare. Tooru didn’t seem phased under it and instead crossed his long limbs underneath him. “You can make your own dinner next time if you want to sit and complain.”

“More beans?” Tooru grumbled. Hajime had been cooking the food for a good amount of time now so he pulled the pot out from the fire pit.

“Tonight, it’s a mosh posh of food.” Hajime used Tooru’s bowl to scoop up the food and handed it to him. Tooru peered into his bowl. He breathed out a sigh of relief at finally seeing real food. 

“It’s only been a day of eating beans, you’ll have to get used to it.” Hajime sat on top of the log today so he hunched over his bowl and ate greedily. “The rest of the summer will be filled with beans.”

Tooru groaned and threw his hands over his hat. “Do you know how much I hate beans, Iwaizumi? They’re so nasty.”

Hajime smirked as Tooru dug into his food. There was a comfortable moment of silence between them as they made a dent into their food. Hajime scuffed his shoes against the rocks that surrounded the fire pit, filtering through conversation topics. 

“You said you came from Japan?” Hajime settled on.

“Yeah.” Tooru said around a mouthful and swallowed before continuing. “I went to school there for a little before my parents decided to come out here to achieve that American Dream. I don’t remember Japan that well but they kept up traditions in my house over the years.” 

“Can you still speak it?” Hajime asked. 

Tooru cleared his throat dramatically and sat up a little straighter. Then, in perfect Japanese said “The sheep were so boring today. I liked the view, though.”

Hajime laughed softly and responded in Japanese as well “Horses are so much better than sheep anyways.”

“You speak too?” Tooru said in English excitedly. 

“Taught myself when I was in middle school.” Hajime corrected his posture as well when he said that. “Wanted to keep my culture alive in my family.” 

“Do you call your siblings Onee-chan?” Tooru teased. 

“Used to but then, when we were out in public it got us more attention than I wanted.” 

Tooru nodded knowingly and Hajime hadn’t noticed the brunette was tense before. His shoulders were sagging a little and his mask on his face had fallen. His last comment though seemed to be a conversation ender. Hajime just couldn’t stop putting Tooru in an uncomfortable position. He had to stop spewing his sob stories to this man. He was never this open when first meeting someone. Maybe it was the altitude. 

As they finished dinner, Hajime started to clean up their dinner. He was squatting in front of the fire to grab the pot and put the leftovers in the bear-proof pouch. 

“Iwaizumi-sannnn.” Tooru whined. He stood in front of Hajime, towering over him but he was pouting like a baby. He continued in Japanese “I don’t want to sleep with the sheep tonight. They don’t tease me like you do. It’s no fun.” 

Hajime huffed and tied up the baggie of food, standing up. He went over to the pulley system he had made and tied up the food to it.

“Suguru won’t be happy if coyotes get one.” Hajime responded in Japanese and felt himself giving in. The tent was big enough for them to both have a comfortable amount of room and he didn’t want to tell Tooru to sleep outside once again. 

Wait, why didn’t he want to tell him? It was his job to sleep with the sheep. They were up here for a job. Hajime yanked the pulley and shot the food up the rope so it hung hidden in the branches.

“There’s like a million of them. Suguru won’t miss one.” Tooru pleaded. He gave Hajime these puppy dog eyes that pissed the shorter man off. 

“Get up there before I pummel you.” Hajime threatened in English. He didn’t like the direction it was going with this Japanese/English conversation they were having. 

“Iwaizumi-sannnnn.” Tooru whined again. 

“My first name is Hajime,” Hajime said, turning around to stare at Tooru. “Now, go.” 

“Hmmm, I feel like I can come up with a better nickname as much as I like your first name,” Tooru smirked in celebration, finally getting more than Iwaizumi. “How about…”

Before Tooru could come up with some god awful nickname, Hajime pointed up to the mountainside and gave him a stern look. 

“Alright, alright,” Tooru raised his hands in defense. “I’ll go, Mom.” 

Hajime scowled and quickly found a rock on the ground to throw at Tooru. The taller man cowered and let out a scream that was so pathetic Hajime had to laugh. He chucked the rock at Tooru’s arm, knowing not to create any actual damage. Tooru ran over to his horse before the rock could hit him and quickly climbed up her side. 

“Iwaizumi-san, such a brute.” He sat up and stuck out his tongue at Hajime, who was wondering how old this guy was. Looked like a man, but had the personality of a whiny brat. 

Still, that personality amused Hajime. 

\---------------------------------

The next few weeks were filled with similar days. Hajime would watch over the camp and cook while Tooru stayed with the sheep. He came down for meals and occasionally stayed longer to talk with Hajime. They fell into an easy rhythm, working well around each other. It became a system where Hajime would look forward to meals and made a mental list of Tooru’s favorite foods, like what was his favorite dinner (corn and biscuits) and what he craved on a bad day (Peanut butter and jelly). Hajime grew to enjoy Tooru’s presence, even if anything he became more annoying the more Hajime talked to him. 

One night, for example, they were laying next to each other by the campfire and passing a bottle of whiskey between each other when Tooru interrupted their conversation. They had been staring at the stars and pointing out different constellations they learned when they were kids. 

“Iwaizumi-” He started but stopped. He turned to face him. Hajime’s heart picked up a bit and he had no idea why. 

“Tooru.” Hajime responded, curious where this was going. 

“You used the -chan right?” 

“Used to, yeah. Isn’t it meant more for kids-”

“I have the perfect nickname. It matches your energy and everything.” Tooru beamed at him the brightest Hajime as ever seen. Or maybe because it was dark out and things felt more like it was just them and nature, no one else in the world. 

Despite this, Hajime groaned to hide his actual emotions. What the fuck was happening to him? 

“Iwa-chan.” 

Iwa-chan?

Hajime’s eyes widened and he put his hands over his face to hide any reaction that would pop up unwillingly. “Tooru, what the fuck-”

“It’s perfect, it fits you so well.” 

“Didn’t I just say it’s more for kids?” He argued.

“Iwa-chan, it just rolls right off the tongue.” Tooru grabbed the bottle of whiskey and took a swig. 

“No, it doesn’t. You just sound stupid.” Hajime growled out and snatched the bottle from Tooru.

But Tooru ignored him as he did every time he went on to call Hajime that nickname, which seemed to be the only way he would address him now. Every time Tooru trekked down the mountain, the camp was filled with ‘Iwa-chan’ because the brunette could not get enough of that damn name. 

“Iwa-chan, hand me that rope.”

“Iwa-chan, don’t hit me!”

“Iwa-chan, stop giving me that look. You look like a gorilla.”

“Iwa-channnnn, no more beans!”

When he said that last sentence, even though this complaint wasn’t new, it hit Hajime a little different. He had no idea why but he told himself he would remind himself to ask Pete for something other than beans. But then again he was finding himself doing a lot of things out of character for him for Tooru. 

Night before Hajime had to journey to the base of the mountain for their weekly food deliveries, Tooru stuck around once again after dinner. Hajime had brought out his whittling knife to carve a crude bear into a stick that had the width of his forearm. He sat in front of the fire and leaned back on the log as he usually did. He was in the middle of carving out details on the ears when Tooru sat next to him, shoulders and legs touching. 

The warmth that radiated off of Tooru was more apparent to Hajime than the fire was in front of them.

Tooru took off his cowboy hat and placed it on Hajime’s head. Hajime paused while Tooru snickered, shoulders rubbing against each other. 

“My hat looks so much better on you than your hat does.” Hajime flicked the brim of the hat up so he could look at Tooru. Tooru was grinning at him and once again, Hajime’s heart picked up. He nudged Tooru over so he could ignore his stupid heartbeat. Tooru feigned hurt, clutching his chest. 

“I like my hat just fine.” Hajime didn’t make any move to take off Tooru’s, though. 

“You’re picking up food tomorrow?” Tooru asked, looking up at the stars. 

“Yeah, so you have to make your own breakfast.” Hajime said and went back to his whittling as he talked. 

“Aw, but I love Iwa-chan’s campfire cooking.” 

“You’ll live one day without it.” Hajime remarked. “Also, just so you know,” he looked back up at Tooru and shot him a smirk. “Beans would be the easiest thing to make.”

Tooru gasped mockingly. “Iwa-chan! How dare you question my cooking skills, I am the best chef I know.” 

“Why do I find that hard to believe?” Hajime moved down from the ear to the bear’s snout. 

“You have no faith in me. I don’t need to make easy meals, I am a grown man.”

“Really?” Hajime leered. “You sure do not act like it.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Tooru turned his nose up in the air. Hajime knew he was playing along but he still hated that snootiness. 

Hajime stuck out his lower lip dramatically and tried his best to imitate Tooru’s puppy eyes, looking up at Tooru. “Aw, Iwa-chan, I hate the sheep! They’re so boring and all I want to do is be lazy and bother Iwa-chan! Maybe come down and flaunt my shiny silver buckle. You know, I really like to flaunt around like a peacock, Iwa-chan.”

Tooru’s eyes widened and he sat there in silence for a beat. Hajime wondered if that was maybe too far? He knew Tooru could take worse than that but-

Tooru burst out laughing and clutched his stomach as he did so. Hajime had not heard the man next to him be so… 

Genuine. This was the first time he noticed he was truly himself with Hajime. The laugh he let out was ugly and shrill and yet the brunette couldn’t stop. This made Hajime laugh hard as well, almost with relief at seeing the true side of Tooru he had been waiting for. 

“I haven't laughed like that in a while.” He said to himself more than Hajime, wiping his eyes. Hajime couldn’t help the grin that took over his face. He took Tooru’s hat off and put it back on its rightful owner's head. 

“The hat doesn’t suit me as much as it suits you.” Hajime said, truthfully. Tooru’s eyes widened 

“Was that… a compliment, Iwa-chan?” Tooru gave a dramatic shocked look. “Mark this day down. On June 24th, Hajime Iwaizumi complimented Tooru for the first time ever.”

“Shut it, Shittykawa.” The nickname fell from his lips effortlessly which meant this is when he retreats to the tent. Keep Tooru Oikawa time limited each night. He stood up and playfully pushed Tooru’s hat down his face like he has now had a habit of doing. 

“Goodnight, my sweet Iwa-chan.” Tooru sang as Hajime walked over to the tent. “I’ll see your ugly mug tomorrow night.”

Hajime climbed into the tent but not before scowling at Tooru. He zipped up the flap and slid into his sleeping bag. Sleep hit him fast and Hajime had to thank his lucky stars for that since he needed it. He got the few hours of sleep he needed before waking up at the ass crack of dawn. 

He groggily got out of the tent and untied his horse. He climbed on ungracefully and whipped the reins to get his horse moving. He was so exhausted, he wasn’t sure if he could keep doing this every week for the rest of the summer. He yawned as his horse trotted down the trail. 

He had picked up a couple of food deliveries before and they didn’t get any easier. But after everyone, he would put in the order for the next delivery. Pete would give suggestions, too for what would be easier to pack, store, or even cook over a fire since they didn’t have a portable stovetop like Hajime always had while camping. He wished that Daishou had provided them with one since they were so much easier than cooking like cavemen. 

In a few hours he had made it to the river he was supposed to meet Pete at. He pulled out the watch Suguru gave him which said 10:30 am. He brought his horse to sit by the river and he filled up his water bottle as she drank from the stream. This water wasn’t as fresh as the one towards the peak where their camp resided but it still was better compared to bottle water. 

After a little while of occupying himself, he saw Pete come up with two horses holding his order for the week. He stopped right at the edge of the bridge and Hajime brought his horse up from the shore of the river. He shook Pete’s hand and he held a clipboard in his hand.

“Alright, I have everything ya asked for last time except I forgot to tell ya but tortillas are much easier to pack than bread.” Pete said while he turned to his horses to grab the food. He started to hand Hajime packs of tortillas, cans of beans, jars of peanut butter, and other containers of easy to store food. 

“What ya want for next week?” He looked down at his clipboard and checked a few boxes before turning and handing Hajime more food. Hajime was jamming them into the pouches hanging off the back of his horse but he turned his head so Pete could hear him as he packed. 

“The usual plus a couple more bottles of whiskey” Hajime looked up at the sky as he remembered the order. “More of that sweet corn you had before and oh, you think you can get some soup next time?” 

Pete looked up from his clipboard, one eyebrow raised. “Didn’t ya say that ya don’t eat soup?”

Hajime shrugged. “Want to eat something other than beans.”

“It’s too early in the summer to be sick of beans, boy.” Pete scribbled something down in his clipboard. 

Hajime not much later had the pouches loaded with food and waved bye to Pete to start his trek up the mountain again. He was humming a tune to himself and guiding his horse through the trail for an hour or two when he had to take a sharp turn that screwed up his whole mood. 

A growl cut through the trees as Hajime pulled the reins back to stop his horse. She neighed and started to move her front legs in place out of fear. In front of them was a huge grizzly bear who was baring its fangs at the two of them. Hajime gripped the reins to gain control of the huge animal he was sitting on. Then, the bear raised one paw and swatted at the air to intimidate them. 

It worked on the horse, at least. She raised up on her hind legs and threw Hajime off her back, neighing and huffing. She then turned and ran in the direction they came from. Hajime got up quickly and whistled for her to come back but she was still running away. Hajime groaned and started to run after his dumbass horse. 

\---------------------------------

“Where were you?!” Tooru screamed as he sprung up from his log and stomped over. 

Hajime just grunted in response as he tied up his horse. 

“What happened to your forehead?? Iwa-chan, what the fuck happened?!” Tooru was giving Hajime a headache which made the shorter man touch his head instinctively. He felt a sharp jolt of pain when he did that and hissed at his own actions. 

When he pulled his hand away from his head, he saw blood on his fingers. Tooru entered into Hajime’s personal bubble and touched his head lightly so he could see the gash on his forehead better. Tooru frowned as he observed it. 

“C’mon.” Tooru grabbed Hajime’s hand and dragged him over to the fireplace. Hajime wished he could pull away because Tooru’s hand slotted perfectly with his but his exhausting day has left him drained. He let himself be handled like a rag doll as the lanky man sat him down next to the fire on a log.

Tooru silently grabbed a pot that was hanging over the fire that Hajime hadn’t noticed before and pulled something out of it that was sitting in water. He wrung it out and Hajime noticed it was a rag. He brought it up to the opening on the left side of his forehead. He had one knee leaning on the log and the other standing up on the ground to let him lean down to get a good angle above Hajime. 

Tooru gently dabbed the cut with the hot water and Hajime hissed once again but didn’t make any move to stop Tooru. Hajime sighed and clenched his fists on his thighs. 

“A bear spooked the horse.” Hajime said. He knew Tooru was wondering but didn’t want to be a bother since he knew Hajime was not in the mood. So, this was his thank you for the rag. “Knocked me off the horse and spent all day chasing after her.”

Tooru hummed knowingly, still cleaning up the blood around the gash and the gash itself. Hajime fished a cigarette from the carton in his pocket and brought it up to his lips leaving it to hang there. 

“How did you know to have this ready?” Hajime asked and brought a lighter up from his other pocket to light his cigarette. He took a long drag and exhaled through his nose. The nicotine helped take some of the tensenesses he was feeling only moments before. That and Tooru’s stupid rag. 

“I knew Iwa-chan wouldn’t be gone all day unless it was serious.” Tooru said, very focused on the task at hand. Hajime repressed the urge to smile. When had Tooru gotten to know him this well?

“Well…” Hajime took another inhale and tapped the ash off of the tip of the cigarette. “Thanks” he mumbled. 

Tooru stopped his movement and looked down at Hajime who was refusing to make eye contact. Even so, he still smiled warmly, genuinely before going back to his cleaning.


End file.
